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President Barack Obama's decision to scrap his Asia trip is a setback for his much-advertised pledge to shift the focus of foreign policy to the Pacific and a boost for China's attempt to gain influence in the region.
By staying home because of the partial government shutdown, Obama hands new Chinese leader Xi Jinping a chance to fill the void at two Asian summits Obama had planned to attend. It's the third time since 2010 that Obama has cancelled an Asia trip, all because of domestic political crises.
Secretary of State John Kerry will represent him at the summits in Indonesia and Brunei.
Budget strains had already put a damper on the Pentagon's push to assert itself in the Pacific, and administration officials had begun casting the shift in policy more in terms of expanding diplomatic efforts, creating more trade and economic ties and just showing up in Asia more often.
"It shows that China has a functional government and America doesn't at the moment," said Kerry Brown, a China expert at the University of Sydney in Australia. "It's just another sign that America is kind of losing its luster, losing its status."
Even so, he said, Obama is committed "to the rebalancing of our policy" toward the Asia-Pacific and looks forward to going at another time. Obama has made five trips to Asia as president.....snip~
Obama's no-show in Asia a boost for China
Associated Press – 4 hrs ago <<<<< More here way more.
Obama has made 5 trips to the Asian Pacific.....and he is rebalancing his Policy. Meaning he can't make the shift. Even the strategy of just showing up more often isn't showing any sort of leadership. The Asians would just view that as the Paper tiger in the room. 5 trips and he has nothing to show for all that traveling.
Cant shift away from the ME and Africa. He has cut the military and we are being over extended. It is clear now that after 5 years Team Obama and the Democrats with their foreign policy is a failure. This is what happens when you let the Bench players always start.
By staying home because of the partial government shutdown, Obama hands new Chinese leader Xi Jinping a chance to fill the void at two Asian summits Obama had planned to attend. It's the third time since 2010 that Obama has cancelled an Asia trip, all because of domestic political crises.
Secretary of State John Kerry will represent him at the summits in Indonesia and Brunei.
Budget strains had already put a damper on the Pentagon's push to assert itself in the Pacific, and administration officials had begun casting the shift in policy more in terms of expanding diplomatic efforts, creating more trade and economic ties and just showing up in Asia more often.
"It shows that China has a functional government and America doesn't at the moment," said Kerry Brown, a China expert at the University of Sydney in Australia. "It's just another sign that America is kind of losing its luster, losing its status."
Even so, he said, Obama is committed "to the rebalancing of our policy" toward the Asia-Pacific and looks forward to going at another time. Obama has made five trips to Asia as president.....snip~
Obama's no-show in Asia a boost for China
Associated Press – 4 hrs ago <<<<< More here way more.
Obama has made 5 trips to the Asian Pacific.....and he is rebalancing his Policy. Meaning he can't make the shift. Even the strategy of just showing up more often isn't showing any sort of leadership. The Asians would just view that as the Paper tiger in the room. 5 trips and he has nothing to show for all that traveling.
Cant shift away from the ME and Africa. He has cut the military and we are being over extended. It is clear now that after 5 years Team Obama and the Democrats with their foreign policy is a failure. This is what happens when you let the Bench players always start.